When it comes to a client building a long-term relationship with a salon, the level of service a guest receives can be more important than the precision of the hair cut or the quality of the color. Customer service impacts the client’s overall experience, and the salons who deliver it during each and every visit boost their overall sales along with their client retention figures.

360 THE COLOUR BAR SALON
El Paso, TX
360hair.com
Eduardo Anderson
SQUARE FEET: 1,800
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 10
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $60
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Bumble and Bumble, Kerastase
COLOR: Aveda, Schwarzkopf Professional, Kerastase
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce
ASSOCIATION: PBA
“When a guest checks out, a 360 Specialist gives them a referral card that allows the guests to refer friends and family. When a referral comes in they will receive $20 towards their first experience. The guest then receives a voucher for $30 in service or retail.”

BELLA STYLE SALON
Slidell, LA
mybellastyle.com
Jennifer Bellau Baudier
SQUARE FEET: 900
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 7
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $50
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Unite
COLOR: Aveda
NAIL CARE: SpaRitual
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce
ASSOCIATION: PBA
“After all services are complete, our clients’ carbon footprint will be erased; we recycle all possible materials used during their visit. We ship it all, even their hair, to the company Green Circle Salon.”

BROWN & DELINE
Ann Arbor, MI
brownanddeline.com
Cathy Issel
SQUARE FEET: 3,800
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 50
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $45
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Moroccanoil, Wella, TIGI
COLOR: Wella, Redken, TIGI
SKIN CARE: Glymed, Sothys
NAIL CARE: CND, OPI, Footlogix
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce, Constant Contact, Word Press
ASSOCIATION: PBA
“Our salon team members practice a 10/4 culture. If they are 10 feet from a client, they make eye contact and smile, and if they are within 4 feet, they smile and say, ‘Hello.’”

D’AMETRIS AVEDA
Arvada, CO
dametris.biz
Dennis and Ame Metcalfe
SQUARE FEET: 1,200
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 11
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $44
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: Leprechaun, Demandforce, Main Street Hub
ASSOCIATION: ABCH
“We believe that excellent customer service is building a relationship, creating a bond and nurturing that bond. These moments are perhaps every bit as important as the technical skills set.”

ERIC FISHER SALON
Wichita, KS
ericfishersalon.com
Eric and Mary Fisher
SQUARE FEET: 4,000; 1,500; 1,500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 95
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $42
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aquage, Kerastase
COLOR: Goldwell, L’Oreal Professionnel, Kerastase
SKIN CARE: Image Skincare, Skinceuticals
TECH SUPPORT: STX, Survey Monkey
ASSOCIATION: PBA
“Team members receive Eric’s Enlightened Hospitality training to learn how to add value to a service, what to do if a mistake is made, the key to authenticity and how to manage the experience for each guest. Our hospitality trainers also provide customer-service training for other businesses.”

LAVISH SALON
Webster, TX
getlavish.com
Kristi Brehm
SQUARE FEET: 3,900
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 32
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $63
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce
ASSOCIATION: PBA
“We redesigned the traditional front desk and created an open-concept table which allows our guests to stand on either side, allowing them to see their ticket or appointment right from our computer screen. It also encourages our guest service team to flow through the reception area, meeting guests at the door and walking them through the salon.”

PHIA CONCEPTS
Columbus, OH
phiaconcepts.com
Elizabeth and Mike Bella
SQUARE FEET: 1,300; 1,400
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 41
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $47
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Intelligent Nutrients, AG
COLOR: Aveda, AG
SKIN CARE: Aveda, Intelligent Nutrients
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce, Revlocal
“We took a huge leap of faith and opened a salon with the needs of the gluten-sensitive guest in mind. While the salon is available to everyone, it was created to serve those guests who react poorly to gluten in the products at our flagship salon. It is one of the reasons this location has a five-star average on Yelp!”

PROGRESSIONS SALON SPA STORE
Rockville, MD
progressions.com
Cynthia Feldman
SQUARE FEET: 9,000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 56
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $85
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Oribe, Kerastase, Bumble and Bumble
COLOR: Goldwell, Redken, Bumble and Bumble
SKIN CARE: Eminence, Alchimie Forever, HydraFacial MD
NAIL CARE: Morgan Taylor, Smith & Cult, Gelish
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce, SnapSnip
ASSOCIATIONS: ISPA, NCA, PBA
“We focus on making clients feel special and it all starts in the most unglamorous of places: parking. We offer free parking and always offer to pick clients up at the metro stop.”

TEDDIE KOSSOF
SALON SPA
Northfield, IL
teddiekossof.com
Alan Kossof
SQUARE FEET: 17,000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 90
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $50
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Goldwell, Moroccanoil, Rene Furterer
COLOR: Goldwell, Wella
SKIN CARE: Clarins, Avene
NAIL CARE: OPI, Essie
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce, Birdeye, Main Street Hub
ASSOCIATIONS: CC, PBA
“Our email campaign allows us to be proactive in managing criticism. Clients can share feedback directly with us, instead of on a third-party review site. This helps us protect our brand’s online reputation and gives us the opportunity to handle criticism internally.”

VANITY SALON
Houston, TX
vanity-salon.com
Glennis, Fiona and Rory Tolunay
SQUARE FEET: 3,200
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 29
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $76
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: OPI
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce
ASSOCIATION: PBA
“We address guests using luxury language. For example, instead of ‘How can I help you?’ our guest-services team is trained to ask, ‘How can I assist you?’ Instead of ‘Just one second,’ they respond ‘Just one moment.”

Additional Honorees
Avenue Hair Design, Venice, FL
Bella Lago Salon & Spa, Mooresville, NC
Bii Hair Salon, West Dundee, IL
Blo, Raleigh, NC
BRIX The Salon, Auburn, CA
Centre Salon & Spa, Lone Tree, CO
The Changing Room, Aventura, FL
CoCo Cheveux Salon, South Portland, ME
Glow, Braintree, MA
Gordon Salon Highland Park, IL
The Hair Company, Leonardtown, MD
Headlines The Washington Park Salon, Denver CO
Ihloff Salon and Day Spa, Tulsa, OK
Impressions, Mequon, WI
Joli Salon and Spa, Lexington, KY
Josephine’s Day Spa & Salon, Inc. Houston, TX
Maggie The Salon, Pembroke Pines, FL
Mane Attraction salon, Phoenix, AZ
Nuovo Salon Group, Sarasota, FL
Nurtur the Salon, Columbus, OH
Paul Kenneth Salon & Spa, Woburn, MA
Pin-Up curls, Fort Wayne, IN
Pure Salon Sap, Louisville, KY
RedBloom Salon, Calgary, Alberta
Salon 6, Indianapolis, IN
Salon Allure, Huntsville, AL
Samuel Cole Salon, Raleigh, NC
Salon Estique, Columbus, OH
Sky Salon, Strongsville, OH
Voga Salon, Overland Park, KS
Von Anthony Salon, Frisco, TX
D’Ametris Aveda, Arvada, CO